Railroad-crossing signal.



S. A. WILLIAMS.

RAILROADCROSSING SIGNAL. APPLICATION FILED NOV. 11, 19M. RENEWED JULY 11.1916.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

S. A. WILLIAMS.

RAILROAD CROSSING SIGNAL.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.H.19l4. RENEWED JULY 17.1916.

1,198,802. PatentedSept. 19,1916.

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uurrn STATE-S TENT ()FFTGE.

SAMUEL A. WILLIAMS, 015 LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA.

, RAILROAD-CROSSING SIGNAL.

Patented Sept. 19, 1916.

Application filed November 11, 1914, Serial No. 871,618. Renewed July 17, 1916. Serial No. 109,812..

signals such are are used where highways cross railroad tracks.

The principal object of the invention is to provide an audible and visible signal which will warnhighway traflic of the ap proach of a train. Many such signals have been devised but they are objectionable in that the signalis not conspicious enough and in that the mechanism required is complicated and expensive A further object of my invention is to provide a signal that will be very conspicuous and which will be operated by a' simple mechanism. The railroads at the present time have adopted a stationary warning signal consisting of two signboards set at 45 with "the vertical and suitably inscribed.

A further object of invention is to provide a signal which, at rest, will look exactly like the standard signboard now in use so that in case of accident to the mechanism the signal will be exactly equivalent to such standard signboard'.

The invention consists broadly of a pair of signboards set at right angles to each other and provided with means for oscillating them upon the approach of a train.

It consists further of an illuminated pen- Fig. 3 is an elevation of the mechanism, certain of the parts being shown in section to better illustrate the internal structure. Fig. 4 is a section on the plane m w of Fig. 3.

The invention consists of a case 10 which may be secured by means of suitable straps 11- and 12 to a pole 13 or which may be supported in any other convenient manner. The case 10 is provided with a cover 14 which may be readily removed to give access to the internal portions of the signal.

The signal proper consists of sign boards 15 and 16 secured by means of suitable flanges 17 to a shaft 18. The shaft 18 is secured in suitable bearings 19 formed on the case 10 and the flanges 17 are provided with downwardly extending arms 20 which carry a bulls-eye casting 21 in which is placed a socket 22 which carriesa lamp 23. Suitable lensesor glass members 24 are provided in eitherend of the bulls-eye 21 and suit able wiring 25 connects the socket 22 with the source of electrical energy, these wires pasing upwardly through the arms 21 and into the interior of the case 10 as shown at 26. The signboards 15. and 16 may be-1ettered as shown, or they may have other suitable lettering thereon, and they may be of one color, but I prefer to make one of them red and the other White so as to provide a striking color contrast. Rigidly fastened to the shaft 18 is an operating crank 27. An operating lever 28 is pivoted on a pin 29 which is fixed in the case 10 and extends over the operating crank27 and is connected by means of a link 30 with a core 31 which extends through a tube 32 upon which a solenoid 33 is wound.

Secured to the operating arm 28 is a switch rod 34 which extends downwardly as shown in Fig. 3 and upon which is loosely mounted an insulating block 35 which carries an upper contact 36, the insulating block 35 sliding on the rod 34 upon which is secured collars 37 and 38, a spring 39 being placed between the collar 38 and the top of the insulating block 35. The upper contact 36 is connected by means of. a connector 40 to a wire 41 and with a source of electrical energy through one of the wires 42. The rod 34 passes through a second insulating block 43 which is pivoted on one end of a rock lever 44, this rock lever being pivoted at 45 upon a bar 46 which extends across and is secured to the case 10. A spring 47 is secured to the other end of the rock lever 44, being secured at- 48 to the case 10. Lower contacts 49 are secured to the insulating block 43 and are connected through a wire 50 with one terminal of the solenoid 33, the other terminal of the solenoid being connected through a wire 51 with the external circuit through one of the wires 42. A spring 52 is secured around Yes the shaft and rests against a washer 53 which is rigidly secured on that shaft. Rig idly secured on the shaft 18 is a gong crank 54 to which is secured a gong rod 55, this rod extending downwardly and being provided with a collar 56 to which is rigidly secured one end of a tension spring 57, the other end of the tension spring 57 being secured to a tube 58 in which the shaft 55 may slide. The lower end of the tube 58 has an enlarged head 59 which is placed in a swivel 60 formed on a bell crank 61 through which the tube 58 passes, this bell crank having an adjusting screw 62 at one end thereof and having a projection 63 at the other end, this projection 63 extending downwardly and engaging one end 64 of a gong lever 65 which is provided with a downwardly extending projection 67 carrying a clapper 68, this clapper being located inside a gong 69. The gong 69 is secured on a standard 70 suitably secured to the case 10 or to the straps 11.

The method of operation of the invention is as follows: Upon the approach of a train to the crossing, which is guarded by the signal, the wires 42 are energized and current is passed through the wires 26, to the lamp 23, illuminating same and causinglight to shine outwardly from the bulls-eye 21 through the glass members 24 which may be of colored glass and which are preferably of red glass. The bulls-eye forms a pendulum which tends to hold the light signboards 15 and 16 in the position shown in Fig. 1, the internal parts being in the position shown in Fig. 3. \Vhen the wires 42 are energized, current passes upwardly to the connector and to the upper contact 36 making contact with the lower contacts 49 and completing the circuit through the wires and 51 to the solenoid 33. The energizing of the solenoid 33 causes a mag netic flux to pull downwardly on the core 31, pulling the operating lever 28 from the position A of Fig. 3 to the position B. This downward movement of the operating lever forces the operating crank 27 downwardly and rotates the shaft 18 so that the signal 15 assumes the positionX of Fig. 1. The downward movement of the operating lever 27 is communicated to the switch rod 34 which moves downwardly, forcing the insulating block 35 downwardly and causing the crank 44 to rotate, thereby extending the spring 47. WVhen the crank 44 is rotated sufficiently for the upper end of the spring 47 to pass the central position of the crank 44 a further movement of the spring 47 assists in forcing the crank 44 in a clockwise direction as shown in Fig. 3, and the insulating block 35 and the lower contacts 49 are forced violently downwardly out of engagement with the upper contacts 36 there by breaking the circuit to the solenoid 33.

This will occur at or near the position X of the signboard 15. lVhen the circuit to the solenoid is broken all pull on the core 31 is released and the bulls-eye 21 acting as a pendulum swings the signboard 15 back to its initial position and onwardly into the position Z of Fig. 1. The upward movement of the switch rod 34 is transmitted to the insulating block 43 by means of the spring 52 and the upward movement of the insulating block 43 is communicated to the crank 44 rotating this crank in a counter clockwise direction against the action of the spring 47. Until this spring has passed its central position at which time the spring assists in the counter clockwise motion of the crank 44, returning the crank and the insulating block 43 to its initial position as shown in Fig. 3. The circuit is not, however, established until the bullseye 21 'acting as a pendulum returns the upper contact 36 to its initial position at which time the circuit through the solenoid 33 is re established and the cycle is repeated.

For the purpose of providing an audible signal the gong 69 is used, this gong being operated through the gong rod 35 by means of the gong crank 54 which is rigidly secured to the shaft 18 as previously explained. When the shaft 18 is rotated by the solenoid 33 as previously explained the gong crank 54 rotates in the clockwise direction, forcing the gong rod 55 downwardly, the tube 58 sliding freely in the projection on the bell crank 61. When a reverse movement of the shaft 18 takes place the tube 58 at first slides freely in the projection 60 until the parts reach the central position shown in Fig. 3. As the parts pass through this position the head 59 engages the projection 60 and rotates the bell crank 61 in a clockwise direction causing the projection 63 to strike the projection 64 and throw the clapper 68 sharply against the inside of the gong 69. The spring 57 allows the shatf 18 to overtravel and at the same time insures a positive stroke on the gong.

I claim as my invention:

1. A railroad crossing signal comprising warning signboards set at an angle to each other, and means for swinging said boards backand forth on either side of a central position.

2. A railroad crossing signal comprising two warning signboards of different colors set at an angle to each other and each normally making an acute angle with the horizontal, and means for swinging said signboards alternately into a vertical position.

3. A railroad crossing signal comprising two warning signboards of different colors set at an angle to each other and each normally making an acute angle with the horizontal, a shaft to which said signboards are secured, a support in which said shaft is pivoted, andmeans for actuating said shaft so as to throw said signboards alternately into a vertical position.

4-. A railroad crossing signal comprising two warning signboards of different colors set at an angle to each other and each normally making an acute angle with the horizontal, a shaft to which said signboards are secured, a support in which said shaft is pivoted, an operating crank secured to said shaft, an operating lever extending over said crank in such a position as to actuate said crank, and electrical means for actuating said operating lever.

5. A railroad crossing signal comprising warning signboards set at an angle to each other, a pendulum attached to said signboards, and means for swinging said boards back and forth on either side of a central position.

6. A railroad crossing signal comprising two warning signboards of different colors set at an angle to each other and each normally making an acute angle with the horizontal, a pendulum attached to said signboards in such a position as to tend to hold them in their normal position, and means for swinging said signboards alternately into a vertical position.

7 A railroad crossing signal comprising two warning signboards of difierent colors set at an angle to each other and each nor mally making an acute angle with the horizontal, a shaft to which said signboards are secured, a support in which said shaft is pivoted, a pendulum secured to said shaft in such a position as to tend to hold said signboards in their normal position, and means for actuating said shaft so as to throw said signboards alternately into a vertical position.

8. A railroad crossing signal comprising two warning signboards of different colors set at an angle to each other and each normally making an acute angle with the horizontal, a shaft to which said signboards are secured, a support in which said shaft is pivoted, an operating crank secured to said shaft, an operating lever extending over said crank in such a position as to actuate said crank, a pendulum secured to said shaft in such a position as to tend to hold said signboards in their normal position, and electrical means for actuating said operating lever.

9. A railroad crossing signal comprising two warning signboards of different colors set at an angle to each other and each normally making an acute angle with the horizontal, a shaft to which said signboards are secured, a support in which said shaft is pivoted, an operating crank secured to said shaft, an operating lever extending over said crank in such a position as to actuate said crank, a solenoid secured to said support, a

core inside said solenoid attached to said operating lever, means for energizing said solenoid, and means for deenergizing said solenoid in such a manner as to cause it to actuate said signboards.

10. A railroad crossing signal comprising two warning signboards of different colors set at an angle to each other and each normally making an acute angle with the horizontal, a shaft to which said signboards are secured, a support in which said shaft is pivoted, an operating crank secured to said shaft, an operating lever extending over said crank in such a position as to actuate said crank, a solenoid secured to said support, a core inside said solenoid attached to said operating lever, a pendulum secured to said shaft in such a position as to tend to hold said signboards in their normal position, means for energizing said solenoid, and means for deenergizing said solenoid in such a manner as to cause it to actuate said signboards.

' 11. A railroad crossing signal comprising two Warning signboards of different colors set at an angle to each other and each normally making an acute angle with the horizontal, a shaft to which said signboards are secured, a support in which said shaft is pivoted, an operating crank secured to said shaft, an operating lever extending over said crank in such a position as to actuate said crank, a solenoid secured to said support, a core inside said solenoid attached to said operating lever, means for energizing said solenoid, a switch in the electrical circuit of said solenoid, means for closing said switch as the signboards assume a central position, and means for opening said switch when said core has been pulled completely into said solenoid.

12. A railroad crossing signal comprising two warning signboards of difi'erent colors set at an angle to each other and each normally making an acute angle with the horizontal, a shaft to which said signboards are secured, a support in which said shaft is piV- oted, an operating crank secured to said shaft, an operating lever extending over said crank in such a position as to actuate said crank, a solenoid secured to said support, a core inside said solenoid attached to said operating lever, a pendulum secured to said shaft in such a position as to tend to hold said signboards in their normal position, means for energizing said solenoid, a switch in the electrical circuit of said solenoid, means for closing said switch as the signboards assume a central position, and means tending to hold the signboards in their normal position, and electrical means for alternately throwing said signboards into a vertical position.

1&. A railroad crossing signal comprising a pair of signboards at an angle to each other, each signboard being normally at an acute angle with the vertical, a pendulum tending to hold the signboards in their normal position, a solenoid, a core for said solenoid connected to said signboards, a switch in the circuit of said solenoid, means for closing the switch when the signboards are in their normal position, and means for opening the switch when the signhoards are 5 in one of their extreme positions.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at Los Angeles, California, this 5th day of November, 1914.

SAMUEL A. WILLIAMS.

In presence of FRED A. MANSFIELD, FORD W. HARRIS.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the "Commissioner of I'atents. Washington, D. C." 

